Reaction to BYU hiring Kentucky's Marc Hill as Deputy AD + Chad Kauha'aha'a interview

Big news in the BYU Athletics front office. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the hiring of Marc Hill as BYU's new deputy athletic director. Hill arrives in Provo after spending 27 years at the University of Kentucky, where he served as deputy director of athletics since 2019 and was the football sport administrator since 2012. Hill was widely considered the frontrunner to succeed longtime Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart before the school went with an external hire in J Batt. At Kentucky, Hill helped spearhead major facility projects, including a $130 million football stadium renovation, a $49 million baseball stadium, and a $19 million soccer/softball complex. BYU AD Brian Santiago called Hill "a great fit" who brings "a wealth of experience from the highest level of collegiate athletics." BYU advancement VP Keith Vorkink added that Hill's "experience, leadership and alignment with BYU's values" make him an excellent addition. This hire comes just days after the athletic department had to publicly shut down false rumors about Santiago's job status. Mitch discusses what Hill's arrival means for BYU's administrative infrastructure, Kalani Sitake's desire for additional support at the top, and how this fits into the bigger picture of the program's growth in the Big 12. Also on today's episode, Mitch sits down with BYU football outside linebackers coach Chad Kauha'aha'a. The veteran defensive coach, a former Utah defensive lineman, was promoted from senior analyst to outside linebackers coach in February after spending two seasons behind the scenes on Kalani Sitake's staff. Kauha'aha'a brings over two decades of coaching experience at programs including USC, UCLA, Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon State, Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, and Weber State. He and Sitake have a long coaching history together, dating back to their time on the same staff at Oregon State and at Utah. In the interview, Coach Kauha'aha'a discusses developing BYU's edge rushers heading into 2026, what he's seen from his outside linebackers group through fall camp, and what it means to be coaching on the field after two years as an analyst. Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes. Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT). Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US  iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593 Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper. Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go. Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.